6.2 million votes: See the demographics of New Jersey's voting population

In 2020, 158.4 million citizens—almost two-thirds of estimated eligible voters—voted in the presidential elections, according to the Pew Research Center. The number represented a higher than average turnout, with people voting in numbers not seen since 1980 and possibly well before.

Stacker compiled voter demographics for each state and Washington, D.C., using the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (released in September 2020). Each slide shows the state's voting-eligible population (citizens who are 18 or older) and the breakdown of that population by sex, age, race, and education. Economic statistics are not included because the American Community Survey does not account for COVID-19, which affected unemployment, poverty, and medical insurance status for millions of Americans. In order to avoid making any assumptions about the data or the participants of the American Community Survey, Stacker used the exact wording of the "race" and "sex" framework that was provided in the census data.

Keep reading to see the voter demographics of your state.

New Jersey by the numbers

- Voting-eligible population: 6,170,130
- Breakdown by sex: 48.0% male, 52.0% female
- Breakdown by age: 19.1% 18-29 years old, 22.3% 30-44 years old, 35.7% 45-64 years old, 22.9% 65+ years old
- Breakdown by race: 72.2% White, 13.9% Black or African American, 7.5% Asian, 15.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.0% two or more races
- Breakdown by education: 2.9% less than high school education, 5.0% some high school (no diploma), 27.0% high school graduate or equivalency, 19.1% some college (no degree), 6.7% associate's degree, 25.0% bachelor's degree, 14.3% graduate or professional degree

Similar to neighboring New York, New Jersey has a high group of minority voters, with Black or African American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, and Pacific Islanders comprising 36.9% of the vote. The Garden State reared the first Black voter in 1870 when Metuchen native Thomas Mundy Peterson cast his ballot in Perth Amboy after the 1870 reconstruction of the 15th Amendment.

By percentage, voters aged 45–64 are the highest in every state, with registered voters over the age of 45 comprising more than half the country's population. Older voters also trend toward turning out to vote at a higher rate and played a significant role in former President Donald Trump's 2016 victory in Florida.

Along racial lines, Black or African American voters in Louisiana and Georgia comprise more than 30% of the state's registered voters. California and Texas—which award the most electoral votes at 55 and 38, respectively—boast the highest numbers of Latino voters. On the other end of the spectrum, West Virginia and Maine boast the highest percentage of white voters. A number of states had already seen record voter turnouts, with 16 seeing more than half of its registered voters casting a ballot before Election Day.

Continue reading for a glimpse into the voter demographics of neighboring states.

New York

- Voting-eligible population: 13,810,830
- Breakdown by sex: 47.7% male, 52.3% female
- Breakdown by age: 21.0% 18-29 years old, 23.3% 30-44 years old, 33.0% 45-64 years old, 22.6% 65+ years old
- Breakdown by race: 68.5% White, 15.6% Black or African American, 6.7% Asian, 15.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.5% two or more races
- Breakdown by education: 3.8% less than high school education, 6.4% some high school (no diploma), 25.8% high school graduate or equivalency, 18.5% some college (no degree), 8.9% associate's degree, 21.3% bachelor's degree, 15.2% graduate or professional degree

Tied with Florida for the third-most electoral votes at 29, New York has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988. One-third of the state's registered voters reside in New York City, with a record 4.6 million on the voter rolls as of 2017. The Empire State is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation, and nearly 31% of registered voters are Black or Latino.

Pennsylvania

- Voting-eligible population: 9,810,201
- Breakdown by sex: 48.4% male, 51.6% female
- Breakdown by age: 19.5% 18-29 years old, 22.6% 30-44 years old, 33.8% 45-64 years old, 24.1% 65+ years old
- Breakdown by race: 83.3% White, 10.6% Black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.6% two or more races
- Breakdown by education: 2.5% less than high school education, 6.3% some high school (no diploma), 34.8% high school graduate or equivalency, 18.1% some college (no degree), 8.2% associate's degree, 18.7% bachelor's degree, 11.3% graduate or professional degree

With 20 electoral votes, Pennsylvania has been and remains one of the most influential states in any election. The Keystone State's 12.8 million populace makes up 4% of the total U.S. population, further showing the state's powerful electoral position. Though adjacent to states with higher minority voting groups, including New York and New Jersey, Pennsylvania's 2020 Black or African American population of 10.8% was not equal to the U.S. average of 12.5%.